Six key themes for 2021 through a photographer's lens
Centennial
As 2021 marked the centennial of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the site where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921 became a popular destination for tourists in the past year.
Workers in March revamp the site where the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in 1921.
The renovated site opens to the public in May.
Residents enjoy themselves in front of a giant billboard marking the centennial at Zijin Square in Shanghai's suburban Jinshan District.
Vaccination
The Shanghai government went all out in the past year to encourage residents to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The city administered over 47 million COVID-19 vaccine shots, and 21.62 million people had been fully vaccinated by early December. Booster shots are now being rolled out.
Community
The local government has set out to make Shanghai a more livable city, aiming to build a "15-Minute Community Life Circle" for every resident.
A newly designed community pocket plaza on Yongjia Road won two honors at the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture 2021 – the Gold Prize in the Social and Cultural Architecture category and Special Prize in the Social Responsibility category.
Centennial Park, renovated from what was once Shanghai's longest railway wet market, has become a key attraction in Caoyang Community in Putuo District.
Residents of Caoyang Village check out their visual profiles displayed in community during a city space art event in October.
Space
Space science was one of this year's most frequently discussed topics, from Elon Musk's SpaceX to China's first female astronaut.
People queue to enter Shanghai Astronomy Museum, the world's largest planetarium, on opening day on July 18.
Kids take pictures with performers in Xintiandi during the Lumiere Shanghai lighting festival which featured space stations and astronauts in November.
Bye-bye
Due to urban construction, we said good-bye to some popular venues in 2021, including Fuchun Xiaolong, a traditional dumpling shop on Yuyuan Road, and a second-hand bookstore near Fudan University.
Diners queue outside Shanghai Fuchun Xiaolong Eatery on Yuyuan Road on December 20 as it will shut down around end of year to allow for an upgrade of the iconic road. Fuchun Xiaolong is famous for its Xiaolongbao, a kind of soup dumpling popular with local people.
Book lovers swarm to a second-hand bookstore on Zhengsu Road on December 12 before its imminent closure. The owner of the store, which has been operating for more than 20 years near Fudan University, said the building in which the shop is located will undergo a revamp and he is now looking for a new location to sell his collection of books.
The century-old Jiangyin Street attracts many people to take photos when its empty houses were transformed into a film set in December by the crew of an upcoming spy thriller. After the filming is done, all props will be taken away and the old residential community around the street will be renovated.
Flowers
Flowers have brought beauty, love and warmth to our life.
An old street vendor selling gardenias in front of Metro City accepts mobile payment.
City residents pay their respects at the tomb of Chen Yannian in Longhua Martyrs' Cemetery in Shanghai on July 4. Many of the mourners were young people who had watched the TV series "The Age of Awakening" which featured the founding of the Communist Party of China.
A young woman poses for a photo in front of Wuzhong Market in Xuhui District in September when the market collaborated with luxury brand Prada.
Flowers placed on the wall beside dumpsters in a residential complex on Xinhua Road.
A subway staffer gives a rose to a passenger to welcome the first batch of passengers when Metro Line 14 started operations on December 30.
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